I know many teachers who say they wish they could go to a math conference but they are not sure of the logistics of applying for funding, applying for leave, getting sub coverage, etc… I have gone to many conferences over the past 10 years and always return feeling rejuvenated and excited to do my job!

I have attended the NCTM Annual Conference although I may try a regional conference in the future. The following is based on my own experience; please review your school board and Article 60 guidelines before making plans.

Things to consider before booking your conference:

Let your school administrator know you are interested in attending the conference. They have to approve your application, so it’s best to let them know up front in case there is a reason they cannot approve your request.

In my experience, It’s always best to go to a conference with a friend or colleague. Not only does it save on hotel costs (more about that below), it’s nice to have a travelling companion. That being said, choose your companion wisely! Whenever I go to a conference, I like to do as much as possible, conference stuff and otherwise! You may want to have a discussion about your expectations about things you will do together and things you will do apart. If your travelling companion wants to be frugal and you want to sightsee and eat at some new amazing restaurants, tension may arise. One (or both) of you may be disappointed if you have competing expectations.

Consider sleeping arrangements. I swore I would never sleep 4 in a hotel room (with the exception of family) after the age of 30. The first few conferences I went to, my buddy and I were on the same page and it was always just the two of us sharing a room. One year, she was unable to go and I ended up tagging along with another twosome and it worked out well with the three of us in a room (a great way to keep costs down!). We still met up for dinner a few times a year to re-create the feeling of dining in some fantastic restaurants while away at conference!

Consider adding a day to your trip either at the beginning or the end. I prefer adding a day at the end to explore the host city. By the end of the week, I have gotten the lowdown from other conference attendees as to the “must see/do” attractions of the city.

Investigate the city you are going to. If you are into shopping, scout out the outlet malls or trendy boutiques. Sports? What teams are playing when you are in town? I was in Washington DC for a conference when the Capitals were playing Pittsburgh Penguins in a Stanley Cup playoff game. Music? Check for information on which major acts may be in town. I got to see the Kings of Leon in New Orleans! And the restaurants! One of travelling companions is a major foodie and keeps a bucket list of restaurants to visit during the trip.

Speaking of investigating the city, geography matters! You have a set amount of money you are able to have reimbursed. If you want to stick as close to that as possible, you may want to stick to conferences on the East Coast. A flight to California is often double to cost of a flight to Washington. And there is also jet lag to contend with. When you return from conference, it’s usually right back to work. If you need time to adjust time zones, factor that into your plans. That being said, I’ve been to California twice for conferences and it was #worthit.

So now you have decided the conference, the city and travelling companions, here are some of the logistics of applying for funding:

Fill out the Application for Leave form (found in Document Depot, HR, for HRSB teachers) and submit to your supervisor for approval.

Apply for Article 60 funding (It is a menu item in MyHRSB). NOTE: If you are applying to go to a conference in April, you cannot apply for Article 60 funding until January 1st of the same year.

Apply for additional funding through your NSTU Local. Be aware that the application deadlines for the school board and the NSTU local are different. You need to apply for funding through the NSTU Local early as once the funds are spoken for, that’s it! The timelines for applying for this funding are different that Article 60. I apply for this one on the first day possible, which is usually later August, early September.

The MTA (NS Math Teachers Association) may reimburse part of your registration fee. You can apply for this money after you have attended the conference. With Article 60 and NSTU local funding, you will get confirmation of the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed; the MTA money is more of a wildcard. I don’t normally factor this into my overall budget but treat it as an added bonus if I am successful in securing the money after the conference is said and done.

You can also apply for an Out of Province Conference Grant through the NSTU. I have never been successful in securing this funding.

Once you have gotten approval for leave and have confirmation on how much you will be reimbursed in expenses, it’s time to start planning your trip! I often scout out hotels and flights even before I have completed the steps above. My preference is to stay at one of the conference affiliated hotels. There are complimentary shuttle busses that run from the hotels to the conference centres all day. This is a big bonus in my eyes. Sometimes, I have used the shuttle busses just to get to another part of the city! You can find all the information about accommodations on the NCTM website. The best hotels (location or price) usually book up early. If I don’t have all the proper approval from my principal yet, I still reserve my hotel room. I can always cancel the reservation if plans fall through (unlike conference registration and plane tickets. Wait to book those!).

Take note of the early bird registration dates for the conference. It will save you about $50 if you register before a certain date. If you know of a bunch of people who are attending the same conference, investigate group rates. Also, I usually scour the internet for NCTM conference registration coupon codes. I once saved myself fifty dollars by using a random code I found online.

So now that you have gotten approval for leave and funding, registered for conference, reserved your room and booked your plane ticket, you need to plan your time at the conference. With thousands of sessions to choose from, selection can feel like a nightmare (similar to those many of us get in the days before a new school year begins). For this reason, you want to choose wisely. Like the first days of school, this planning you do in advance will certainly impact the days ahead.

More on strategies to navigate the conference booklet and choosing your sessions coming soon!